(s)? (d)?

[weckar]

I was just reading tome of magic, the shadowcaster section... But I have no idea how to read some of those areas.

Clinging Darkness has a (D) on is area description. (S) is on quite a few others...


... What do they mean??

[hamishspence]

(D) stands for Dismissible (in the context of Duration), (S) stands for Shapable (in the context of area of effect). I found references to those, in the PHB for spells with those traits.

I figure that when they're on the wrong line (like (D) on Area) it's a misprint and it should be on Duration instead.

[weckar]

Shapable being exceedingly vague and D a misprint. nice.

[KillianHawkeye]

Shapable being exceedingly vague

Here is what the SRD says about it:

(S) Shapeable

If an Area or Effect entry ends with "(S)," you can shape the spell. A shaped effect or area can have no dimension smaller than 10 feet. Many effects or areas are given as cubes to make it easy to model irregular shapes. Three-dimensional volumes are most often needed to define aerial or underwater effects and areas.

[Vaern]

Shapable being exceedingly vague and D a misprint. nice.

Shapeable spells usually have areas like one 10-foot cube per caster level and just mean that you can arrange those portions of the area any way you'd like, creating irregular shapes.
Funny thing about the rules on shapeable spells, though. The rules for shapeable spells say that a shaped spell can have no dimension smaller than 10 feet. There are two spells in Tome of Magic - Black Fire and Carpet of Shadow - which have an area of one 5-ft. square/level (S). Despite the fact that the spells are technically available at levels 1 and 3, they would be functionally uncastable until you could cast them at cl 4.